Originally Posted by
JoeyBike
...then they get a flat tire on the rear in the dark and want to kill themselves.
I bought a Pugsley in 2006 for use in sand and all around commuting (some off-road options). My 9-speed rear cassette, disk brake, and horizontal dropouts make getting the rear wheel off a hellish nightmare and getting the wheel back on even worse. Hauling a spare "car" innertube around ain't much fun either, nor is trying to fill that thing with air after a flat repair.
I had a love affair with the Pugs too. Now I could cut it up with a sawz-all with glee. Been holding my breath for Surly, or someone, to make a decent heavy tire for the thing, or at least a heavy duty tube. I have also taken many tire sealant showers too. Those big tires blow a ton of Stans no-tubes into the air with a nice puncture.
One rear flat in a downpour or with frozen fingers and the luster will tarnish a bit. Trust me.
Well, I was out riding with my Salsa, got a flat rear tire, and did a field change. First time in a long time: took 45 minutes, but it was manageable. I had to swap it when I got home and it only took 20 minutes. I had to take it to my LBS to fine tune the brakes, gears, etc. anyways, so they checked things over.
In downpour or freezing conditions, I'm not sure if whether the bike was a fatbike or not would make much difference.